A reporter states that there was another aircraft VFR in IMC.

Attributes
ACN	272519
Time
Date	199404
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sna
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : lax
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 10600 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	272519
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On IFR flight, 5000, approximately 200 ft above solid overcast (bases reported between 1900-2600 ft) given traffic 1 mi 4000 ft. (Nx) traffic in question had in last minutes told approach he'd probably need an IFR approach into torrance but ATC had not given him any clearance, only acknowledgement of request. When nx queried as to whether he had us in sight he replied 'I'm in the clouds.' when questioned, ATC told us traffic had passed behind us. We never saw him. Overcast was solid, no layers and extended from 20 mi inland to approximately 10-15 mi offshore. There is no way this aircraft could have 'accidently' gone IFR at 4000 ft!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RPTR STATES THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT VFR IN IMC.

Narrative: ON IFR FLT, 5000, APPROX 200 FT ABOVE SOLID OVCST (BASES RPTED BTWN 1900-2600 FT) GIVEN TFC 1 MI 4000 FT. (NX) TFC IN QUESTION HAD IN LAST MINUTES TOLD APCH HE'D PROBABLY NEED AN IFR APCH INTO TORRANCE BUT ATC HAD NOT GIVEN HIM ANY CLRNC, ONLY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF REQUEST. WHEN NX QUERIED AS TO WHETHER HE HAD US IN SIGHT HE REPLIED 'I'M IN THE CLOUDS.' WHEN QUESTIONED, ATC TOLD US TFC HAD PASSED BEHIND US. WE NEVER SAW HIM. OVCST WAS SOLID, NO LAYERS AND EXTENDED FROM 20 MI INLAND TO APPROX 10-15 MI OFFSHORE. THERE IS NO WAY THIS ACFT COULD HAVE 'ACCIDENTLY' GONE IFR AT 4000 FT!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.